Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Pack It Up, Pack It In

Sorry the posting has been pretty light lately, but get ready, because it's going to get worse before it gets better.

That's right, I'm going on vacation. To Italy.

(I'll gleefully listen to your hateful comments now)

I'm taking my own little recess next week and enjoying a week on the Continent. Unfortunately for me, I am a pretty awful packer, so that means I must start organizing myself about three weeks ago.

Due to the recent crackdown on all things liquid and essential by the TSA and my paralyzing fear of the airline losing my luggage, I am determined to pack smart this time.

(I am also traveling with my boyfriend who will have exactly zero patience to put off going to see the Catacombs to wait me to shop for basic clothing that I could have just packed from home if I didn't have my own bizarre fantasy about what we will be doing while we are there.)

Here are some of the things I am planning on to get me through the trip in style:

Kiehl's: This is a wonderous place. A place where they give out hermetically sealed sample packets of almost everything they carry. Reasons this is so awesome? These flat little packets take up exactly ZERO space in my luggage, are disposable, cannot spill all over anything, and are FREE!

And I want to send out some major props to the folks at the Georgetown store for not only giving me a bunch of samples of their new Olive Fruit Oil hair care line, but also for MAILING me samples of the Eye Alert cream. My love for you knows no bounds.

However, I want to ask people to please not to abuse this privilege. I always try to buy something when I go grubbing for samples, or ask for samples of things that I honestly think that I will buy if I like it.

Ziploc Bags: Actually, this is kind of a lie, because I bought the generic Target brand bags, but whatevs. I love these things. Especially the snack sized ones. I put everything in these. Even my traveling companion.

Tide-to-Go: If you happen to be traveling with someone who ends up with little souvenirs on his shirts post meals, this is the greatest thing on Earth. Also if you happen to be one of those people too. See also: Downy Wrinkle Remover Travel Size.

Ambien: 'Nuff said. Go flirt with a doctor to get your own.

BodyGlide: Blisters and cobblestone streets are a no-go.

Trish McEvoy Pretty Face Palette: Okay, I'm seriously trying to cut down on the number of beauty products that I'm bringing, both to spare my lumbar vertebrae and my boyfriend's patience. It also encourages me to buy stuff while I'm there.

Almay Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover Pads: Pre-soaked pads with great eye makeup remover to take off aforementioned Pretty Face makeup, sealed up in aforementioned generic Ziploc snack bag.

Rosebud Salve: Seriously, this is the most annoying TSA rule. Apparently, I can bring my corkscrew, my knitting needles, my safety razors, my non-realistic toy weapons, my transformer robots and my screwdrivers which are less than seven inches long, but my lip balm is a security threat. I get it, we live in a different age, blah blah blah, post-9/11, blah blah. I'll check it in my luggage, but jeez. My boyfriend is the one who is really going to freak out about this.

And, to be perfectly honest, I'm just assuming that my luggage will be lost and all of my careful planning will be for naught.

So...what replacement beauty products should I look for in the Italian pharmacies?

4 comments:

Alison Santighian said...

Yes, insanely jealous. Especially b/c I gave up my opportunity to buy things in Italy because I froze when I was there. So sad, H (then B) was really upset with me that I didn't even buy a little, teeny Italian purse in Italy. Promise me this won't happen to you, please.

On the stock-up...Vichy sunscreen a la SPF 60. Buy lots. And Nivea Dry cream deodorant. Sounds icky, but is wonderful. Who'da thunk that deodorant could acutally work - and moisturize! I buy gobs of both when in Europe.

The Glitterati said...

Stark raving jealousy!

But do try pick up some Marvis Toothpaste if you can, and tell us all about it. It'd probably be cheaper and easier to come by in Italy. Jasmine Mint? How fancy!

Anonymous said...

on my first trip to florence a few years ago i arrived suffering from a canker sore on the inside of my mouth that was the size of a grapefruit. so painful! the local pharmacist sold me a product called "corti fluoral" and i'll be darned if it didn't heal the canker sore overnight. i always have friends bring it back when they travel to italy.

so if you happen to be bothered by canker or fever sores, corti fluoral is just the ticket.

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